Scott Williams could face a hefty punishment after losing his temper during his defeat to Karel Sedlacek in the Players Championship 30 final. The pair were deadlocked at seven legs each heading into the decider and the pressure was clearly getting to both players.
Missed Match Darts and Costly Error
As they whittled down their scores, Sedlacek had the opportunity to claim victory but missed a number of match darts. It saw Williams return to the oche needing to check out 112 to win the title. He attempted to hit treble 20 followed by the single 20, which would have left him needing double 16. However, he got his bearings wrong under pressure on the second dart and ended up hitting the single five.
It sparked a furious response from the Englishman, who pulled his hand back as if he was going to hit something before haphazardly flinging his third dart into the single 15.
Post-Match Reaction and Social Media Backlash
On his next visit, Sedlacek eventually checked out 32 to win on his eighth match dart, which made Williams even angrier. He refused to look at his Polish opponent during their post-match handshake, then appeared to wave him away as he walked off. After shaking hands with the officials next to the board, Williams hurled his darts on the floor as he struggled to hide his fury.
His behaviour was poorly received on social media, with some fans accusing the 36-year-old of throwing his toys out of the pram. On X (formerly Twitter), @Ben_Tilley97 wrote: "Pathetic behaviour from Williams at the end, embarrassing stuff," while @StuartBull13 added: "Shocking from Williams. Doesn't deserve to win if he can't lose with dignity."
@JohnLac36728740, meanwhile, said: "Shameful, inexcusable behaviour. Yes it sucks and rightly so, but show some respect. Will realise the stupidity of it when he looks back at it." @tom_riding170 commented: "So a bad handshake. Dismissing him out of the way. Then hurling your darts in anger. I'm sure Scott will regret that 10 seconds."
Precedent for Penalties
Players are often penalised for losing their cool at the oche, with Cameron Menzies receiving a substantial fine after repeatedly punching a table at this year's World Darts Championship. He was ordered to pay £2,500 and received a suspended ban after the incident, which left him needing stitches for a nasty cut to his hand.
Raymond van Barneveld was previously fined £3,000 and hit with a suspended ban over "inappropriate behaviour and using offensive language" at Players Championship 2 in Wigan last year.
